CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- When acclaimed chef Peter Chang set up his newest restaurant in Charlottesville in 2011, he would be creating an institution of authentic Chinese cuisine.

A Chesterfield County home-schooler hosted a dumpling making class at the Peter Chang restaurant in Williamsburg Sunday with the aim of strengthening U.S.-China relations.

When Peter Chang came to Richmond, the buzz was deafening. The farm boy from Hubei province had been the hot ticket in D.C. as chef at the Chinese Embassy before making an escape worthy of a John le Carré novel. With his immigration status in a gray area, he became a bit of a rogue chef, bouncing from restaurant to restaurant and achieving a nearly mythical status as the increasing number of fans of his Sichuan-influenced cuisine flocked to each new spot.

The James Beard Foundation today announced the finalists for its 2016 Restaurant and Chef Awards, and based on sheer number, the Washington area had a better showing than last year.

A popular chef and restaurant owner has officially joined Scott’s Addition stew of entrepreneurs and developers.Peter Chang opened his new eatery last week at 2816 W. Broad St. in a 3,000-square-foot space in the recently renovated Hofheimer building. Its opening day was June 3.

The wait is finally over. The James Beard Award-nominated Peter Chang opens his Scott's Addition restaurant today at 11 a.m., at 2816 W. Broad St. in the historic Hofheimer Building.

Chef Peter Chang, who owns several Peter Chang restaurants in Virginia including one in Richmond, was named today as a finalist in the best chef Mid-Atlantic category for his work at his Arlington County restaurant, Peter Chang China Cafe

The Szechuan master chef who inspired a Deadhead-like following as he hopscotched from restaurant to restaurant in the American South has settled down and built an empire. These two dining rooms represent his incursion into the DC market...